A Helping Hand
by WolfWinks
Summary: Neville struggles to master a spell, Harry lends a hand.


Neville was ready to throw his wand in the fireplace and quit being a wizard altogether. Thankfully, the Room of Requirement didn't have one at the current time because if it did, he may actually do it. He was obviously a pathetic wizard, so why bother even trying to improve. He couldn't believe how much trouble this spell was causing him. He was doing everything right, everything and yet he wasn't getting the results. Why was he having so much trouble?

" _Expecto Patronum,"_ Neville said, twisting his arm in the correct movement and focusing on the happiest memory he had; his first burst of known accidental magic.

Nothing happened. No spirit guardian, no white mist. Neville couldn't even feel the magic run through his arm, into his wand. There was nothing. Neville threw his wand on the ground in frustration and then himself. He pulled his knees up to his chest and breathed deeply, trying to calm down.

His mother and father were such great wizards. They fought in the first war and helped to win many battles. His Gran and family were always telling him of their achievements. Why was he such a screw-up? Why couldn't he be like them, even a little? Neville rested his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. He didn't hear the door open, or someone approaching him.

"Neville? Are you okay?"

Neville jumped up at the voice and spun around to see Harry standing behind him. He was rubbing the back of his hand, which was covered with his sleeve and staring at him with concern.

"What are you doing here?" Neville winced when he saw Harry's shoulders stiffen. "Uh, I mean. Sorry, I just, well, didn't you have a detention? I thought, well, uh, they usually go on for a while. I though you would still be there." Neville looked down and shuffled his feet. _Now you can't even talk anymore, Merlin, could you sound any more stupid._

"Neville, it's almost one in the morning."

Neville looked up with wide eyes and saw Harry wearing a soft smile. "Did you say one in the morning?"

"Yeah," Harry smiled again at him. "Have you been here a while?"

Neville shuffled his feet again. "Since dinner, I..." Neville trailed off, not wanting to share how much he was struggling with the spell. Neville's eyes drifted towards his feet again.

"I wondered where you were. Your bed was empty."

Neville stayed silent, he wasn't sure what to say to that.

"I was worried." Harry said after a moment.

"Why?" Neville asked, not looking up from the ground.

"You're my friend Neville. I care about you."

Neville looked up again and saw that there was a slight red hue over Harry's cheeks. When Neville realised what that meant, he felt his own cheeks warm.

Harry cleared his throat, "so what are you doing here so late anyway?"

"I'm working on my spells; I want to learn as much as possible."

Harry looked closely at Neville causing him to start fiddling with his hands. "Surely you don't need to be here so late though?"

Neville shifted uneasily, he still didn't want to admit how much he was failing at the spell, at any spell really, but he could see how uncomfortable Harry was after his confession. Neville could still feel his blushing cheeks as well. Deciding to accept the help and steer the conversation in a different direction, Neville tried to explain his troubles while staying vague.

"There's a war coming, I want to be ready but I don't learn the spells quick enough. Either I can't understand them or I don't have the skill to pull them off." _I'm just too stupid._

Harry stared at him for a long time and Neville felt like he knew what he was thinking. It was unnerving. "Everyone has trouble sometimes, everyone, you just need to ask for a bit of help. What spell were you working on? Maybe I could help, or we could practice together?"

Neville shifted again, he knew that Harry mastered this spell at thirteen years old. He might laugh at his failure. _No, don't be absurd. Harry's not like that._ "The Patronus spell," Neville mumbled.

"I'm not surprised, Harry said. "It took me a long time to get that one right."

Neville was surprised again. Harry struggled with this spell. _Harry Potter_ struggled with this spell. "Really?" He said to Harry.

"Yeah, I found it really hard to find a happy memory that worked."

"What did you do?" Neville asked. He wasn't sure about his own happy memory either. It was the day his uncle dropped him out a window, after all.

"I imagine myself sitting with my parents, just, talking." Here Harry looked down. "I know it's not a memory but it works. After the first time, I was able to manage it with other memories but that first time is always the hardest."

"That makes sense." Neville said. He could feel a lump in his throat and was surprised that his voice sounded normal. Harry sounded just like he felt about his parents.

"Would you like to try?"

Neville did, but he was pretty worn out, he could feel his eyes drooping. "I don't think I have the energy," he said.

"Just once, please. Do you have a memory?"

Neville sighed but picked up his wand, which was still on the ground. "Yes." He decided to change his memory after speaking with Harry. He wasn't sure if it was a memory or a dream but it may just work.

"Okay." Harry walked up to him and turned him around so he was facing the empty space.

Neville could feel the warmth of Harry's hands on his biceps. He didn't let go, rather, trailing his right hand down to meet with Neville's and gripped it softly.

"You move your wand in a large circle, a flick at the end." Harry demonstrated the movement, guiding Neville's hand. "You have to concentrate extremely hard on the memory; nothing can make you lose focus. When facing a Dementor, your worst memories are pulled to the front of your mind. You need to be able to pull up that happy memory here and focus on it because, in battle, it's going to be ten times harder."

Neville was finding it very hard to concentrate on anything other than Harry's hand on his, his breath on his neck, his voice in his ear. It was getting harder and harder to even concentrate on Harry's words. Harry's warmth seemed to radiate a feeling of rightness, a feeling of being home.

"Do you understand?"

Neville nodded and he felt Harry step away. Neville was surprised by how much he missed the warmth on his back.

"Okay, give it a go."

Neville closed his eyes and focused back on his memory, focused on his mother's voice.

 _You're my life's one miracle,_

 _Everything I've done, that's good,_

 _And you break my heart with tenderness,_

 _And I confess it's true._

 _I never knew love like this, till you._

With his eyes closed, Neville didn't see what happened when he cast the spell but he did feel the magic running down his arm though he didn't pay it any mind, too focused on his mother's voice.

"You did it!"

Neville opened his eyes at Harry's words and saw the final wisps of an incorporeal Patronus. Neville smiled widely and stared at where the product of his spell once was. He no longer felt tired, he felt exhilarated. Harry placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Well done."

Neville spun around and saw Harry's smiling face, pride and something else in his eyes. Neville couldn't control his actions. He grabbed Harry's face and crushed his lips against Harry's. The moment he did, control flooded back into body and he pulled away like he'd been burned. He saw Harry's wide eyes and shocked expression and he imagined his was the same. They stared at each other in frozen shock until Harry brought a hand up to his lips. His movement seemed to snap something in Neville and he could suddenly move again, suddenly speak.

"I'm s-so s-s-sorry. I d-don't know w-what happened. It was an accident, I s-s-swear. P-please, I'm so sorry." Neville could feel all the joy rush out of his body, leaving him feeling cold.

"I'm not," Harry softly said.

Neville almost didn't hear him over the rushing sounds in his ears. He did hear though and all movement froze again.

"You're not?"

"No."

Neville couldn't seem to understand the words Harry was saying. It was almost like Harry enjoyed the kiss, even, wanted it. That couldn't be. Neville was just some bumbling, slow, stupid, weak wizard. Harry was, well, he was _The Harry Potter._ What could Neville offer him?

"I've wanted to do that ever since I walked into this room and saw you on the ground."

Neville's eyes widened, _I can't count the amount of times I've been shocked tonight... uh, this morning._ "You, uh, you have?"

"Yeah, I have."

Neville watched as Harry twisted his fingers around each other for a moment. He seemed to be debating with himself. Suddenly, and without warning, Harry took two steps, gripped Neville's face and was kissing him. Neville froze for a moment but Harry didn't move away. He licked the crease of Neville's lips and Neville automatically opened his mouth. Then, he was melting against Harry's warmth. The kiss lasted barely a minute but it felt like time stopped.

When Harry finally pulled back they were both breathing heavily. They locked gazed and together smiled.

"So," Harry said after a few moments, "same time tomorrow?"

* * *

The song was Miracle by Celion Dion

(w.c 1,621)

WolfWinks –xx-


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